Step inside Pemberton Heights in Austin, Texas, and you will be enveloped by the canopies of the heritage live oak trees that are endemic to the region of Shoal Creek.
Prior to founding Sanders Architecture located in the heart of Austin, TX, Chris Sanders served in Project Architect roles for Andersson Wise Architects in Austin, Texas; Ann Beha Architects in Boston, Massachusetts; and Baum, Freytag & Leesch in Weimar, Germany. Significant works completed include the award-winning Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Admissions Kiosk, Temple Ranch Pool Cabana, AWAY Spa at W Austin Hotel, and Residences and Hawthorn Longfellow Library at Bowdoin College.
Chris grew up in Lufkin, Texas, in the heart of the Piney Woods. Time spent camping, canoeing, hunting, and fishing is when he began to appreciate nature and to understand humankind’s effect on the natural environment. Trying to reconcile his love of the land with his family’s roots in a natural resource-based economy provided early lessons in sustainability. These experiences may explain why Chris considers Lady Bird Lake the defining feature of Austin’s urban landscape. Between training for marathons, walks with his family, attending music festivals, biking to and from the Green Belt, and canoeing with his kids, he has formed a personal connection with the lake and associated parkland.
Learn more about Chris and his architectural prowess in today’s Designer Friday.
Rocking 8 Ranch is a 3520 square foot residence located in Brown County, Texas. The room above is a testament to Sanders’ infatuation with showcasing natural materials and their beauty. This wood-clad kitchen is rich in a red-toned finish and is accented with deep, burnt umber-colored leather woven bar stools.
Andrew Joseph: Describe your design style as if you were explaining it to someone who cannot see.
Chris Sanders: A mental image of one of my buildings would begin to take shape by understanding the site (its location, climate, orientation, topography), the users of the building, and the building program. These are the three primary inputs to all of our design solutions. Our design process leads to realization of spaces that address our clients’ programmatic goals and are responsive to the site context by incorporating locally sourced materials, natural light, and controlled interior-exterior connections.
AJ: What is something you hope to see trending in design in the future?
CS: I hope we can get back to designs that transcend generations. This, of course, is impacted by the materials that we choose, but also means that as a culture we need to look beyond the moment. Rather than being obsessed with styles and trends, we should be designing more for place, to satisfy current needs, but also looking into the future and a longer building lifecycle. This position is not something new, but rather a reaction to the unsustainable direction of design and culture today.
AJ: If you could live in any home in a movie or television series, what would it be?
CS: I may not last long there, but the Ennis House in LA has intrigued me since seeing Blade Runner in the 80s.
In the living room of the Rockin 8 Ranch, Sanders chose to create a 360 glass-encased, pitched roof space with exposed steel beaming; truly this is the definition of how to design for “taking in the landscape.”
AJ: What’s something you always travel with?
CS: A Swiss Army Knife is always in my pocket. I use it nearly daily, in one way or another. The knife is obviously handy. The tweezers and the corkscrew are close competitors for the tool that makes me a hero of the moment most often.
AJ: What would your dream project or dream client be right now?
CS: Architects work hard in school, and continue to work hard as professionals. There is so much to do…so much to learn. Architecture is a practice. But one day you look up, and you’ve been doing this for a couple of decades. Alas, my favorite clients are those who hire me because they trust me. That said, I would love to be challenged with an off-the-grid full time residence in central Texas. More to learn, more to do…
AJ: Style (or design) icon?
CS: Since first visiting the Olivetti Showroom in Venice as an architecture student, I’ve always been drawn to Carlo Scarpa’s work. A regionalist, Scarpa’s work responds to site – both physically and culturally – through his creative use of materials and form.
This residential penthouse, duly named the “Proper Penthouse”, is located in Austin and features a full, floor-to-ceiling glass wall that leads directly onto the terrace overlooking the city.
AJ: What are three things you can’t live without?
CS: Travel (perspective), exercise (personal sanity), quiet time with my family (foundation).
AJ: How do you define beauty?
CS: A moment of clarity. The quiet at sunrise.
AJ: What are you most proud of?
CS: Professionally, I’m super proud of our team of like-minded architects and designers at Sanders Architecture. Over the past decade, I’ve worked to grow our team slowly, developing talent from within. We are all designers who believe in ourselves and our process – a family of professionals who understand each other and share a passion for what we do.
Photography by Ryann Ford.
About the Designer | Chris Sanders, the founder and creative lead of Sanders Architecture, is deeply invested in the design process of all projects and maintaining strong client relationships. Stemming from his master’s thesis at Texas A&M University, which found a robust link between user involvement and positive design outcomes, Chris ensures a collaborative approach with clients throughout every project phase.
His passion for architecture took him through South Asia as an Edward J. Romieniec Traveling Scholar, studying colonial impacts on local designs and planning. Furthermore, he interned at Leo A. Daly Architects in Washington, D.C., and in 2003, for USICOMOS at the Mediterranean Centre for Built Heritage in Croatia. Hailing from Lufkin, Texas, Chris’s early interactions with nature instilled an appreciation for sustainability and the environment.
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